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JULY, 1888.]
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
203
hand, to be presented along with the money. out and told her servants to take back the The servants placed the baskets before the money. master and stood outside the house, while At home Muttumôhana was anxiously awaitChandralekha took the dish of betel-leaves, ing the return of her daughter, and as soon as nuts &c., and humbly prostrated herself on the Chandralekhâu came in without the usual cheerground before him. Then, rising up, she said : fulness in her face, and without having given
My most holy gurú (master), great are the the presents, her mother suspected that somepains your holiness undertook in instructing | thing had gone wrong, and enquired of her me and thus destroying the darkness of my daughter the cause of her gloom. She then ignorance. For the last eight years I have been related to her mother the whole story of a regular student under your holiness and all her interview with her old master. Muttuthe branches of knowledge hath your holiness mohana was glad to find such a firm beart in taught me. Though what I offer might be her daughter, and blessed her, saying that she insufficient for the pains your holiness took in would be wedded to a young husband, and lead my case, still I hambly request your holiness a chaste life, though born of the dancing-girls' to accept what I have brought."
caste. The money she safely locked up in her Thus said she, and respectfully pushed the room. baskets of mohars and the betel nut platter to- Now, the Brahmaņ, in consequence of his wards the Brahman. She expected to hear bene- disappointment, was very angry with Chandradictions from her tutor, but in that we shall see lékhả, and, that no young and wealthy gentleshe was soon disappointed.
man might visit her house, he spread reports Replied the wretched Brâhmaņ: "My dear that Chandralekha was possessed by a demon Chandralekha do you not know that I am the (kutlichchattı). So no one approached Chantator of the prince, the minister's son and seve- dralekha's house to gain her love, and her ral others of great wealth in Kaivalyam P Of mother was much vexed. Her great wish was money I have more than enough. I do not want that some respectable young man should secure a single mohar from you. But what I want is her daughter's affections, but the master's that you should marry me.
rumours stood in the way. And thus a year Thus spoke the shameless teacher, and passed and the belief that a kutlichchátti had Chandralekha's face changed colour. She was possessed Chandralekha gained firm ground. horrified to hear such a suggestion from one After what seemed to these two to be a long whom she took till then to be an incarnation of period a sage happened to visit Muttumôhana's perfection. But, still hoping to convince him house, and she related to him all her daughter's of the unjustness of the request, she said : story. He listened and said, “Since the belief "My most holy master! The deep respect that a demon has taken possession of your I entertain towards your holy feet is such daughter has taken firm hold of the citizens, it that, though your holiness's words are plain, I is but necessary now that she should perform am led to think that they are merely uttered (pájá) worship to the demon-king on the to test my chastity. Does not your holiness night of the new-moon of this month in the know the rules by which a preceptor is to be cremation-ground. Let her do this and she regarded as a father, and that I thus stand will be all right, for then some worthy young in the relationship of a daughter to your holi- gentleman can secure her affections, ness? So kindly forget all that your holiness So saying the sage went away, and his advice has said, and accepting what I have brought seemed to be reasonable to the mother. She in my humble state, permit me to go home." very well knew that no such demon had
But the wretched teacher never meant any- possessed her daughter, but that it was all the thing of the sort. He had spoken in earnest, master's idle report. Bat still, to wipe away and his silence now and lascivious look at once any evil notion in the minds of the people she convinced the dancing-girl's daughter of what publicly proclaimed that her daughter would was passing in his mind. So she quickly went perform piljd in the cremation-ground at mid
There would of course be no real marriage between a dancing girl and a Brahman. Hence the insult.
